July 25, 2024 Agenda

8:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Frog's Leap Winery

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7:30 am ... Registration begins with coffee and pastries
8:00am .... We will begin with our keynote speaker who has paved the way in organic farming. 

Keynote Speaker

Albert Straus, Straus Family Creamery Founder and Organic Dairy Farmer 
In the late 1970s, after completing his Bachelor’s degree in Dairy Sciences at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, Albert Straus returned to his family’s dairy farm. Albert Straus is the oldest son of Bill and Ellen Straus. He took over the management of the dairy farm with his father and quickly realized that innovative solutions were needed to secure the future of family farming in California and to maintain responsible stewardship of the land. 

The Creamery began in 1994 when Albert Straus made a choice that had a lasting impact on the entire landscape of dairy farming in the United States. Today, Albert Straus, still oversees the dairy farm, getting up early every morning before heading to the office to manage daily operations.

 Vineyard Sites - 3 hours of Continuing Education credits

9:15 am - 2:30 pm ... ​​Following the keynote presentation, attendees will be divided into 3 groups and transferred via shuttle bus to 3 distinctive vineyard site visits. There, presenters will discuss various cultivation strategies that bridge theory with practical application. Lunch will be served.

Tres Sabores*

Songbirds for pest control 
Julie Johnson, Tres Sabores
Matt Johnson, Wildlife Habitat Ecology

​Tres Sabores will showcase conservation methods that promote native avian populations, presenting an organic alternative to pest control. Additionally, the results of a two-year study will be shared on the ​beneficial role of insectivorous birds in 20 Napa Valley vineyards.

Grgich Hills Estate

Organic vineyard floor management 
Ivo Jeramaz & Bernat Sort, Grgich Hills Estate

The team at Grgich will demonstrate organic alternatives to chemical weed and pest control on the vineyard floor, including mechanized solutions, cover crop discussion and others. 

Yount Mill Vineyards

Composting & pest management
Alec Klobuchar & Kendall Hoxsey-Onysko, Yount Mill Vineyards​

Yount Mill Vineyards will share their composting process followed by a walk along their reservoir, where their mealybug, leafhopper, and sharpshooter management programs are explained. 

2:45pm ... The conference will conclude back at Frog's Leap Winery with a wine reception and an opportunity to network and continue the day's discussions with presenters.

* An additional Spanish songbird presentation will be held at Tres Sabores at 3:00pm. It is free to attend for all Napa County Farmworkers, register here.